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View Full Version : Info RE: L.E.C. for US attorney????



mizqtpye
12-26-2010, 03:33 PM
Olá! e boas festas .

In advance I'd really like to apologize for this long post ;-) but I am hoping someone can provide information regarding the Legal Education Certificate [LEC]. I am a US citizen that will soon be marrying my Trini sweetheart of five years. While he is willing to live wherever I want, I think it would be harsh of me to ask him to leave his vibrant business in T&T to come to the States with the unemployment rate as high as it is. So at least for now, I will live in Trinidad with him. With that being said, I am a fairly new US licensed attorney and would like to do the same work in Trinidad. I have tried to do an internet search on what I need to do to practice law there, but the info out there is a little confusing.

What I really need to know is this: Am I correct in assuming that the only way for me to practice law in Trinidad is to receive an L.E.C. Is Hugh Wooding the only school to get the L.E.C. in Trinidad. If so, how big is the 6-month program ([I]i.e., do they except a lot of students for that program)? Are there even many applicants to that program. It would be really great if I could receive some insight from someone out there who went through the steps of transferring their practice from the States to Trinidad. How were you received by employers and clients as a US attorney? Were the basic concepts you had to learn in the L.E.C. program extremely different from US law?

Thank you all in advance for any insights or answers you can provide. It is all very much appreciated.

P.S. I have been asked by several Trini's, usually following some negative comment about Trinidad, "why would you want to move there/here [depending on where I was speaking to them]." I have been to Trinidad several times and I absolutely love it there. In my opinion, Trinidad like every other country, including the US, has its social/economic/political dilemmas. Not only am I well aware of and fully accept them, I also in my own little way hope to contribute to a solution as a resident of the country when that time comes. Furthermore, I am fully aware that my salary may not be as high as what I could earn if I remained in the US. While I am an attorney, I am not at all hung up on money, my sole mission in becoming an attorney was to help those who are traditionally left out of the legal system (i.e., those who can't afford attorney's, minorities, children, elders, immigrants, etc.). And of course, love is much more important than money, and as long as my love is in Trinidad, there I shall be as well. Sorry for the rant...just wanted to put that all out there before it was even asked.

ebony02
01-26-2011, 08:40 AM
What I really need to know is this: Am I correct in assuming that the only way for me to practice law in Trinidad is to receive an L.E.C. Is Hugh Wooding the only school to get the L.E.C. in Trinidad. If so, how big is the 6-month program (i.e., do they except a lot of students for that program)? Are there even many applicants to that program. It would be really great if I could receive some insight from someone out there who went through the steps of transferring their practice from the States to Trinidad. How were you received by employers and clients as a US attorney? Were the basic concepts you had to learn in the L.E.C. program extremely different from US law?

No, Hugh Wooding is not the sole route taken to practice law in Trinidad. Many also study in England for one year, do a 6-month attachment working alongside a practicing attorney and are then called to the bar. You will need someone to petition for you to be called to the Trinidad & Tobago bar. In your case you will just need to enroll in the 6-month transitional program which is designed to acclimate students to the legal system of TT. During your course of study you will also spend an attachment in a law firm or office. Admissions is fairly straightforward and not difficult as there are not a number of foreign/non-national qualified attorneys wishing to practice in TT. You just must show proof that you are in good standing in the jurisdiction in which you are qualified to practice., amongst other requirements. More info located below:

http://www.hwls.edu.tt/general/content.aspx?CategoryID=18&SubCategoryID=29

At the end of the day, so long as you a qualified to practice in TT, I do not think you are received any differently from employers and/or clients. In fact, being qualified in a jurisdiction outside the commonwealth may boost your chances of employment, especially so if you obtained your US law degree from a top law school and have some years experience working as a US attorney.


P.S. I have been asked by several Trini's, usually following some negative comment about Trinidad, "why would you want to move there/here [depending on where I was speaking to them]." I have been to Trinidad several times and I absolutely love it there. In my opinion, Trinidad like every other country, including the US, has its social/economic/political dilemmas. Not only am I well aware of and fully accept them, I also in my own little way hope to contribute to a solution as a resident of the country when that time comes. Furthermore, I am fully aware that my salary may not be as high as what I could earn if I remained in the US. While I am an attorney, I am not at all hung up on money, my sole mission in becoming an attorney was to help those who are traditionally left out of the legal system (i.e., those who can't afford attorney's, minorities, children, elders, immigrants, etc.). And of course, love is much more important than money, and as long as my love is in Trinidad, there I shall be as well. Sorry for the rant...just wanted to put that all out there before it was even asked.

No need explaining, but yes, do expect to be paid pennies in the beginning stages of your practice (ie <$2,000US/month). I hope you did not incur any debt to attend law school in the States and if you did, please pay that off before you migrate.

Good luck to you!